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I reluctantly heed my second alarm's 5:13 call. I peer out the
window to check the weather … clear. Clearly black that is
- sunrise is still at least an hour away in Taipei. Tired from a
late night of preparations, I'm at least happy that my oversized
underpacked pack is ready to go. Other than a leaky Camelbak and
an unsettling feeling that I'm not really ready for extreme weather,
I feel well prepared. The challenge … the 3492m peak of DaBaJian
Shan (also written DaBaChien Shan, meaning Big Chief Mountain) in
ShueiBa National Park, Hsinchu County.
The taxi ride to Taipei Train Station is fast as traffic is light.
A pink sunrise looks great, but the old sailor's adage keeps me second-guessing
my gear. Before long, we fourteen hikers and three guides are on our
mini-sized, mini-amenity bus - aside from televisions and microphones
for karaoke, it isn't well equipped for anything. Not even a bathroom
for passengers who should be trying hard to hydrate.
An hour on the BeiErGao Freeway brings us to ChuDong, the northern
gateway city to ShueiBa and DaBa. The last 7/11 we will see for three
days does brisk business from ours and likely other hiking groups. Though
the drive from ChuDong to the DaBa trailhead isn't geographically far,
we need more than three hours to cover the steep, narrow, winding road
leading us there. My earlier concerns about the weather were looking
like a waste of energy, for now at least - clear crisp autumn skies
painted the forests beautiful shades of green with flashes of orange
and red highlights.
With XiaoHei (Little Black), our more than qualified head guide, leading
us up the trail, the hike begins. I am impressed with both the size
of his pack, and also the slow but steady pace he sets. Some thought
the pace was too slow, but having successfully climbed Everest twice,
nobody in the group dares challenge his decisions. The steep trail quickly
progressed through different forest types. Unlike many other trails
I've hiked in Taiwan, this trail actually offers great views along the
way of forest AND distant valleys and mountains. Rest stops along the
way are well spaced, allowing us to keep a steady pace and rest, renourish
and rehydrate when necessary.
After four hours of steady climbing, we reach Hostel 99, situated at
2699 metres above sea level. The distance is only about 3 1/2 kilometres,
but the steep grade takes its toll on legs and lungs. The clear blue
sky was beginning to change its hue, indicating the fast approaching
sunset. This high in the mountains, it doesn't take long for the sun
to drop behind a distant wall of mountains.
While we familiarize ourselves with the basic offerings of 99, namely
a warehouse style bunker for forty sleepers and a very rustic outhouse,
the guides prepare our meal. Though we all shared the weight and bulk
of the food heading up, the guides were responsible for lugging all
of the cooking gear and other necessary precautions our remote location
necessitate. Soon after sundown a hot nutritious meal warms our bellies
and helps convince our tired bodies it is indeed time to rest. With
a two AM wakeup call not far away all hikers are in bed well before
any Taiwanese city might fall asleep.
Good intentions weren't enough though, as the effects of mild altitude
sickness and the very real effects of echoing snores kept me and many
others awake throughout the night. To me, the very early wakeup call
came as more of a relief than a burden.
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